Enemy of My Enemy
by L. Psuedonym
Summary: UPDATED 5/14/11  Squall never thought being a knight was going to be easy, just easier. But protecting Rinoa is becoming progressively more complicated. And to protect Rinoa, he must also protect himself. But with threats menacing over Garden that too..
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Enemy of My Enemy **

**Summary:** Squall never thought being a knight was going to be easy, just easier. But protecting Rinoa is becoming progressively more complicated. And to protect Rinoa, he must also protect himself. But with threats menacing over Garden that too will be difficult.

**Timeline:** Post Final Fantasy VIII game by probably a few months, couldn't be logically longer than a year.

**Genre:** Angst/Romance –Squall and Rinoa, no slash. My viewpoint is that Seifer and Squall are in a giant pissing contest, and Seifer just happens to be the child of the two. Don't burn me for not writing slash, and I won't get on your case for writing it. Truce people, truce!

**By:** L. Psuedonym

Here is my first Final Fantasy VIII fanfiction. I'm not much of a fluff writer or of a fan-girl-istic writer. My goal is keeping the characters in, well, character, while telling stories that could potentially take place before, after, and during the original Final Fantasy VIII. I hope that everyone enjoys the following tale! It takes place POST game. Clearly.

**Final Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Final Fantasy –that's all Square Enix. I merely embellished it for amusement's sake alone.

**Chapter 1: **

"_Rinoa... Even if you end up as the world's enemy, I'll...I'll be your knight..._"

—Squall

An abrasively loud KA-BOOM shattered the peaceful silence of the surrounding foliage, followed by a curt yelp. Birds collided with each other in an attempt to escape the adjacent trees.

Squall grimaced, and pinched the bridge of his nose exasperatedly, despondently taking in the scene in front of him.

Rinoa was sitting on her butt, where she had been promptly thrown after attempting to control Thundaga. Grass and leaves stuck out of her hair. Her bottom lip stuck out as she made a stubborn pout.

"Well?" She asked, glaring up at her knight. Her pout intensified.

"I told you; you need to focus much harder if you want to be able to control magic with…accuracy." Squall knew he was in trouble before the words even came out of his mouth. Teaching women, he imagined, was much like living with them: it was always your fault. It was definitely easier to be alone…but no longer preferable.

Rinoa stood up, decisively brushing off her clothing. "I AM focusing….Maybe I'm not cut out for this sorceress business…" [_She could very well be right about that._]

Missing his cue to be encouraging, Squall sighed. "Let's try again-"

"Can't I take ONE break?"

"…." The knight hesitated. "Okay…I suppose it couldn't hurt. We've been out here for a few hours now."

Rinoa plopped to the ground before he was even done speaking and sprawled herself in the grass. Her eyes closed and she sighed.

Squall studied her with thoughtful eyes. How could someone who loved naps this much be so threatening that most of the world wanted to kill her? She could barely wield Thundaga safely, let alone use serious magic.

Apparently, being a sorceress with mystical powers was not innate. He wouldn't go so far as to say that defeating Ultimecia was purely luck, but luck may have had something to do with it.

However, Rinoa _had_ to learn how to control the more powerful magic spells, almost instinctively. She needed to be able to defend herself…and well. If something happened to him….

_[Bad thoughts]. _

He knew that she had finally gotten herself into the type of trouble that being cute wouldn't spare her from. Being a sorceress was no laughing matter. And although the dark-haired girl acted like it was just another game, he knew she was trapped and frightened. She didn't dare give up her powers to someone who could potentially abuse them. But she didn't dare trust herself too much either.

Every now and then, when she got really stressed or angry, she would react more aggressively than usual. Or accidentally damage property with an unintentional spell gone awry. It was a matter of time until she accidentally killed someone or hurt herself.

She needed this training. _[This is nothing compared to what it will be like to teach her the truth about Guardian Forces and their abilities…Although does a sorceress really need a Guardian Force?]_

Leaning against a tree, Squall set his head back against the trunk and soaked up the warm sun through the filter of the leaves. It was a beautiful day outside, at least that helped. Last thing he wanted to do was hear her whine about the rain too… _[Women]_.

Restless, the young SeeD commander didn't lean against the tree long. His anxiety over Rinoa kept him motivated.

"Let's continue," he pressed, pushing away from the tree.

Rinoa let out an audible groan of disapproval.

"We'll quit soon, just one more hour," Squall finally encouraged.

Standing up, Rinoa took her stance, glaring determinedly at the straw mannequin propped up on a stick.

Squall cast shell and braced himself for the tragedy….

-0-

"Sooooooooooo you've been so quiet! How did I do?" Rinoa asked bouncily, practically jogging to keep up with Squall's lengthy legs as they were walking back to his apartment.

"You still need more focus," he admonished rather briskly. _[on the bright side, I only used Shell about 20 times, conservatively. That's better than last week- ]_

Rinoa stopped walking and ducked her head. Her firsts clenched at her side. "That's all you have to say?" She asked, disheartened.

Squall paused and turned around. Cocking his head slightly to the side to observe her disposition, he sighed reluctantly. "You're doing alright other than that. Magic isn't easy to master….but I think you're almost ready for the training center." He was surprised at how much easier it was to be encouraging to her than to others.

Rinoa looked up with a huge grin. "Okay!"

Squall gave her a poor excuse for a smile –reminisce of someone constipated, and started walking.

That was enough for Rinoa, She was more less immune to Squall's chill, which seemed to follow him everywhere he went. It was enough to send subordinates running, but Rinoa found it funny, much to the young man's chagrin.

Lately he had gotten worse, too. Having been promoted to a commander at such a young age, he seemed determined to prove his competency. Apparently this meant, he couldn't be too friendly with anyone.

But while Rinoa was immune to Squall's chilly personality, he was hardly immune to her sunshine. It didn't quite seem fair.

"Oi Squall!" A loud voice from down the sidewalk made him cringe. A blonde man with a black, intricate tattoo on his cheek bone bounded up, punching the air.

"Zell." Squall's tone made a graveyard seem animated.

"Yeah, hey man. They sent me to come and get you right away!" He saluted energetically.

"Whose "they"?" Squall asked with an inner sigh. Rinoa just started humming behind him, rocking back on her feet.

"Xu. And some others. They said it was important."

"Whatever."

"Uh…" Zell added worriedly, "Aren't you going to go see what they want?"

"Momentarily." Squall winced, thankfully unnoticeably. He could feel a headache starting at his temples, pressing unstoppably towards his forehead. "Do you know anything _about_ what they want?"

Zell thought for a moment. "Not…really. No wait maybe I doooooooooooooo –no, no I don't. Sorry." The blonde shrugged.

Before he could stop himself, Squall found his forehead smacking into his palm.

-0-

Esthar was a small country, at least when compared to Galbadia. This had not always been the case. At a point in time, in an unforgotten (but unspoken of) history, Esthar had been powerful and strong, ruled under the iron first of Sorceress Adel. In a war later to be recalled as the Sorceress War, Esthar attacked Galbadia…but Galbadia had fought back. In an unfortunate series of mishaps, Galbadia became impressively strong and Sorceress Adel found herself bound and helpless, her powers frozen, encased in a tomb of sorts. And Galbadia became a dominant power.

With Adel frozen, peace began to creep back between the two countries.

However, in all of the celebrating, one thing had not been accounted for: a man had devoted himself to Adel, to be her knight. The attraction was not so much physical as it was an attraction to raw power. Love had never had a place in their relationship.

She had been dominating, physically and mentally.

He had been accepting, humbled in her presence by force.

But although weak against Adel, he was still a considerable force against any other man.

And he was still alive.

The powerful man's green eyes narrowed angrily, a flash igniting within them. A fury.

Laguna. This was his entire fault –his and that brat, Ellone's.

Laguna, in a desperate attempt to spare Ellone from becoming Adel's beneficiary, had stopped at nothing to find her and rescue the girl. Pulling out all of the stops, Adel's imprisonment had ultimately been his doing, as he had come to the realization that he could not kill her.

But she had been killed. Squall had killed her. Laguna's scrawny, misbegotten son, who only recently had realized who he was, and only recently found himself thrown into a position of authority.

When Adel had junctioned Rinoa, stealing her strength and life, Squall had been pissed –and that had been a severe understatement. Finishing off Adel with a blasting zone, the young SeeD thought that he had killed both Rinoa and Adel, but Rinoa had lived leaving a fatally wounded Adel no choice but to pass on her powers to the black-haired girl.

What followed these events was history. The commander of Balamb Garden was also Rinoa's knight, her protector.

Many wanted to kill the girl out right, or at the least contain her. Memories of Adel's cruel, merciless rule over Esthar had not been forgotten. Adel had been ruthless, and many feared that little Rinoa may become something sinister. No one knew the ultimate effects of sorceress magic on the sorceress, how it changed them over their prolonged life.

The man from Esthar sneered. Rinoa's knight had taken her to Balamb Garden, enclosing her in it to keep her safe from harm. Balamb was one of the strongest Gardens, nearly impenetrable now.

He had contemplated breeching it's security many times…

He could kill Laguna, but that was no longer a priority accomplishment. Laguna's time was coming to an end. And regardless, _klling_ Laguna would not be a very good method of revenge. The man was completely altruistic, nearly to the point of having a hero complex. He would rather die than live in the knowledge that someone else had to die.

Although…

…. it had been _Squall_ who had killed Adel.

But there was no breeching Balamb Garden. Security was at its max, and even so much as threatening Squall Lionhart in those facilities would result in his death, even if he managed to kill the commander as well. And Rinoa, cornered and angry in those facilities, could prove much more volatile than even _she_ probably realized, seeing her knight in distress. Adel's powers were crushing, brutal. If she could harness and manage a tenth of Adel's power, she would be absolutely formidable.

A sane person probably would have given up….Attempting to kill a legendary SeeD –and a knight at that, in the presence of his pissed off and inexperienced sorceress was bound to end in failure, almost suicidal.

Then again, if he had been sane, he would have never approached Adel in the first place. She had not chosen him; he had chosen her. Her acceptance had revolved more around tolerance and control, manipulation –amusement. Adel had been amused by his worship of her…most people worshipped out of fear, or ran out of fear, groveled out of fear.

He had worshipped in admiration.

She had known he had been insane, but she appreciated it.

Although he was not entirely sure of how he would get his revenge for Adel's death, the man knew that he must draw Squall out of Balamb, catch him at a disadvantage. Being a commander, there was very little that would draw the man out of Balamb, unless….

-0-

"Esthar wants to negotiate a contract?" Squall asked, incredulous, his eyebrows knitting, crinkling with his scar. His lips tightened into a pressed frown. He stared at the paper in front of him, stormy eyes full of questions.

"Apparently, they want to make a contract concerning the sorc- errrr, I mean, Rinoa," Xu fumbled, barely saving her sentence. Rinoa was a delicate topic around the Garden.

Squall put his face in one of his hands. "And…this was brought on by?" _[…] _He had thought that most of the negotiations concerning Rinoa and her untamed powers had been completed. Initially, some countries had been willing to go to war with Garden over the containment of the sorceress.

"Apparently there is some concern in Esthar (still) about the source of her abilities…"

Squall remained motionless, looking at no one.

Xu continued, cautiously. "Her powers came from Adel, who was apparently a very-"

"I know." Squall muttered dryly. It was something that he worried about from time to time, as well. "We have already negotiated with them, in depth." [_But it figures that Esthar is still unsatisfied…]_

"Apparently they are not satisfied."

"What more would they ask of us? She is at a Garden –_confined_ to a Garden. SeeD has a constant presence. She can't even use magic.. "[…._yet_.]

"They request an audience with you, commander."

Silence. Squall kneaded his forehead. "When?"

"As soon as can be arranged."

_[….] _Squall sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. He _really_ did not need this right now. "I suppose that they expect me to go there?"

For whatever reason, political leaders did not particularly enjoy the idea of venturing into Balamb Garden. He guessed it had something to do with Rinoa, or the fact that it would be entirely too easy to isolate them and take them prisoner or something drastic.

"Yes." Xu frowned uneasily, worried about what type of stress this would evoke for Squall. Squall, while possessing a brilliant strategic mind and imperiled bravery, despised negotiations and small talk. And he _really_ despised traveling for them. He hated leaving Rinoa in Balamb Garden. Whether he admitted it openly or not, she was a comfort to him.

Squall stood up, relatively emotionless. "It's 8pm, I'll handle it tomorrow. Right now I've got an evening planned with Rinoa."

That was Squall for you, removing the distressful topic from the table.

"Dismissed." The commander added, nearly forgetting the formalities that came with his position. Xu saluted hastily before exiting the room.

Squall waited a few minutes after Xu left, before quietly shutting his door and returning to his seat. He buried his head in his hands.

His life felt like one large conflict.

His position as commander dictated that he protect Balamb Garden and those in it; making choices in the interest of Garden.

His loyalty as a knight to Rinoa held him responsible for her safety and her interests. And aside from being her knight he _loved_ her. He _adored_ her.

But it seemed like he was always going to be doomed _this; _trying to satisfy both of his interests and responsibilities. He knew Esthar still wanted her encased, frozen. He knew that Balamb Garden was in more danger with her inside. But he also knew that he couldn't negotiate against her.

However, he didn't dare to surrender as commander, however much he wanted to. Firstly, Seifer would give him hell over it, repeatedly. Secondly, there was no way to know who would assume commander after him and how they would manage with Rinoa and her sorceress powers. He didn't want to have to fight all of Garden –face certain death and hurt many people, if he didn't have to.

And he knew Rinoa wouldn't have any of it. She didn't want him to hurt anyone for her, ever. She also would be angry if he ever did anything to compromise his own safety and prospects.

Rinoa was attempting to be the most altruistic sorceresses to date, baring anyone from stepping out of their way on her account. But in that regard, she was also making things more difficult on Squall.

[_Whatever, sitting around feeling sorry myself won't help anyone, not even me. ….besides Rinoa is waiting outside the office.] _

Standing up, the young commander neatly pushed his chair under the desk, restacked all of his paperwork into their designated piles, and closed up his office for the night.

Squall winced. A pain burrowed into his stomach, like a stinging nausea. He felt slightly sick. Bad cafeteria food? He frowned uneasily. He had only ever gotten food poisoning once in his life and he had not enjoyed its effects one bit…

But this was different he decided, as his abdomen cramped, giving him a prickly, cold sensation. He had not consciously felt anxious, but something about the upcoming events didn't bode well.

They were too strange, too bold. Grimacing, Squall swallowed down a lump in his throat before waving down Rinoa, where she lay sprawled out on a bench nearby, staring at the evening stars, as always looking for the shooting stars.

_[I can't let you get hurt.]._

**Please review! ^_^ I want to know what people think! **

**Chapter two will hopefully be up next week! **


	2. Chapter 2: The Countdown

**Alrighty, readers! Here is chapter 2! Thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming. I love hearing from you, its good fuel for writing! ;) ;) **

**And YES, the infamous Seifer will have an appearance in this story, perhaps a surprising lead role. Maybe he's not so bad after all…hmm? Well, we shall see! **

Enemy of My Enemy

**_Chapter 2: The Countdown_**

BING! BING! BING! BING! BI-! 0600. Squall clicked his alarm clock off. Sitting up on the bed, he sighed. His fingers squeezed the bridge of nose, and his back slouched despondently. He hadn't slept all night.

He knew that he was in a sad state of affairs when he was lying there, _waiting_ for his alarm clock to go off. He hadn't been like this in years. He had not _worried_ like this in years. Not even when he thought the world was going to come to an end –mostly because at that point, he wasn't even sure that was anything that he could do about it.

Now he felt like the responsibility for so many things was dangling like a boulder above his head.

Rinoa was curled up in a ball to his left, nestled under several blankets. Her long black hair was everywhere, creating a mess. Her face was peaceful, with a loose smile pulling at her lips.

Squall wanted to look away from her, because looking at her scared him. She was so _small_ and so _clueless_. She wasn't quite helpless, but she was close enough to it.

Sensing Squall stirring, the woman opened one eye and yawned, sitting up to rub her eyes. "What are you doing? It's 6 am…" She didn't think that he was working today…but then again, he was _always_ working. His mind didn't ever rest.

"0600," Squall corrected out of habit.

Rinoa blinked tiredly, before muttering, "same difference." She flopped back into her pillows.

Squall frowned to himself, clearly opting to be less forthcoming than usual.

Rinoa raised her head. "So what are you up so early for?"

Squall grimaced. " Today is my last day in Garden again, for probably a week." He awaited the tirade, wincing inwardly.

Rinoa crinkled her nose in disapproval, pouting.

Still clumsy at this relationship business, the young commander awkwardly put an arm around the girl, pulling her close against his chest. He lay down beside her. This cuddling thing was actually sort of nice, as long as he didn't think about it too much, because when he thought about it too much, he felt sad. What if he could never hold her again? Did she know that all of this was just so that he would never lose her…never hurt her?

"I wish I didn't have to stay trapped here…" Rinoa muttered softly against his chest. "I miss adventures."

At first Garden had been captivating, and the girl had explored it like a child playing hide and seek. But now, it had become mundane, even dreary. She was allowed most places on the premises, especially of accompanied by Squall or his friends. But no one had the time to just relax and have fun with her. She often found herself wandering alone. She wouldn't tell Squall this, however. She could tell that he was trying so hard to be more open with her and to keep her safe and happy. She didn't want him to feel like a failure and flinch back into his reclusive habits.

"But you're safe here," Squall protested softly, brushing his lips against her cheek in a light kiss.

"It sucks-" Rinoa attempted to stop herself, but it was too late. She hid her face against his chest, pressing her nose into his skin.

Squall suppressed an inward flinch of hurt. He was seriously trying…Why couldn't she just be _happy_?

"I know you're trying," Rinoa assured hurriedly. "B-but it's like being a prisoner."

"But you're safe," he stated again, not sure of what else to say.

He felt Rinoa's mouth twitch into a frown against his chest. "And bored…and I hate it that I can't go with you to these other places."

_[Me too..but I know you're safe here, with people I can trust…I only leave this place to assure that you remain safe]. _

"You know how many people still want to hurt you-"

"I can look after myself," Rinoa argued, stubbornly.

"You can't leave this Garden," Squall stated, his voice becoming steely with resolve.

Rinoa sat up, no longer looking nearly as tired as she had a couple seconds ago. "Is that an _order_?" she pried crossly.

Squall felt himself becoming angry. "If it has to be."

Rinoa's finger was suddenly in his face, forcing him further into the pillow behind his head. Monsters didn't make him cringe a tenth as much as this girl did. "You're mean!"

"It's the only way that I can protect you! No one will hurt you here!" Squall finally snapped, exploding out of his usually nonchalant demeanor.

"What if I don't want to _be_ protected?" the black haired girl pressed.

Squall didn't say anything, he just scowled, upset –and perhaps looking a little hurt.

Rinoa rolled over, putting her back to him, crossing her arms. Her face was drawn in a pout.

Squall swallowed rather hard. He hated it when she was angry. It made him nervous. The impulse to silently get up and walk out of the door assaulted him. Squall bit his lip. He knew that wouldn't make things better…but it was what he was used to doing when something upset him –just walk out of it.

"Rinoa…maybe someday things will be different."

Rinoa snorted disbelievingly. "No, because no one likes me. Everyone is scared of me…people will always look at me differently!"

"Maybe that will change too." Squall tried to be optimistic, for her sake, something new for him.

Rinoa rolled back over and her dark eyes locked with his steely gray ones. "You think so?"

"It's possible…you're too cute for people to continuously hate you."

Rinoa smiled thinly. Wrapping her little arms around his middle, she hugged Squall close, ignoring how he stiffened under the proximity. "Thank you, Squall."

He hugged her back ever so shyly. "For what?" He hadn't actually been helpful had he? A few moments ago he had been the problem…hadn't he?

"For being comforting."

He felt his girlfriend relax against him, slowly, reluctantly. She was willing herself to relax, probably for his sake as much as her own. Squall couldn't say that he was ungrateful.

Kissing her on the forehead, he sighed quietly. "I'm going to go and practice on my own in the training center…but I suppose if you want to you can come along," he added as an afterthought. _[I'm not sure you're ready for the training center and possibly a T-Rexuar, but you've got to get a better grasp on this magic…and I don't want to go alone]. _Usually he did, so that he could focus…but he was realizing just how much he was going to miss Rinoa. Leaving her was becoming more and more difficult, and the internal discipline that he was so famous for was starting to disintegrate. Every now and then, he felt like panicking as he felt himself changing, unpredictably.

Rinoa smiled. "Okay…I suppose it shouldn't hurt. Besides, I will have plenty of times for naps when you are away.'

Squall smiled, although he still looked partially choked.

-0-

A tall, rather built blonde man leaned lazily against the training center wall on the outside of the building. The smirk on his face was evidence enough of his intentions. Seifer Almasy, snickered to himself. He had heard Squall was leaving Garden today, which meant, it would be particularly easy to get under the young commander's nerves.

Any experienced commander would have expelled Seifer over the torment Squall typically allowed himself to endure on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, Cid had been clearly displeased with Seifer's behavior in the past, and it had cost Seifer his SeeD membership.

So it was a complete mystery to everyone as to why Seifer was still even allowed inside Garden, let alone tolerated. Perhaps it was Squall's way of leading; showing others how to forgive (after all, memories of D-District prison couldn't have simply dissipated). Perhaps, he just didn't feel that the struggle was worth his energy, and felt that much more important things were at hand…

It was anyone's guess.

"Hey _commander_," Seifer's sneer immediately grated on Squall's already raw nerves; nails on a chalk board.

Rinoa glared daggers at the blonde man from behind Squall's back. She stuck out of her tongue, contemptuously.

Squall resisted the urge to bury his face in his hand. Instead he just stared at the other man, with about as much enthusiasm as a he would have for drinking poison.

"So I heard you're leaving Garden again?" Of course, Seifer didn't take the hint. "What's all that about?"

"I don't recall having to answer to you," Squall replied dryly, attempting to remind Seifer of his place.

"Whoa, I know. I just am curious!" Seifer persisted, throwing his hands up.

Squall scowled. "It's on a need-to-know-basis."

"I heard you were going to Esthar."

"This discussion is over Seifer." Squall's tone was deliberate, laced with undertones of authority. Although Squall appreciated order, he did not enjoy pulling rank on anyone. He felt it wasn't how you earned respect. But sometimes he just had to do it.

"Oh you don't have to say anything, everyone knows it's because of little miss sorceress here," the blonde man tossed his head at Rinoa, and winked.

Squall wasn't sure how he managed to do it, but he didn't give Seifer a second scar across his face. Rinoa was simply surprised that his glare did not melt the older man on the spot.

For a moment she nearly snickered, contemplating what a human puddle may look like….what would happen to the clothes…the eyes? What a mess that would be!

Squall was unmoved, continuing to stare Seifer down, unflinchingly.

But Seifer was also unmoving. "Laguna Loire is president in Esthar…"

Squall's glare intensified. "Seifer-"

"If Esthar wants a fresh contract negotiated about Rinoa, then where is Laguna? You have to admit, Esthar has been the most quiet, reclusive country since the first Sorceress War-"

"I don't know, perhaps he is trying to assure her safety-" Squall couldn't believe he was reasoning with Seifer, of all people. But the man had a point, a point that had been gnawing steadily at Squall's stomach for the past night…

"Or prevent a coup.." Seifer persisted. "Unless there already was another one."

"They have no reason for that."

"The people have a fresh memory of what Adel did to Esthar…I doubt they'll ever forget. Not to mention there are those who are probably pissed at Galbadia…" He glanced quickly at Rinoa, and then locked eyes with Squall. "If they were convinced that Laguna was not looking out for their best interests there could very well be pure hell going on there right now."

Squall bit his lower lip, trying to keep the anxiety in his stomach from presenting on his face. Seifer was right, and he knew it better than anyone. Seifer would also be the expert on just why people would be displeased with Galbadia.

Rinoa looked like she was going to be sick. Her face was white.

Squall found himself trying to be reassuring. "We don't know any of that. Besides, the younger generation know very little about Adel -WE know very little about Adel."

"Precisely…they don't know what to expect about Rinoa, but I bet if the right people started stirring up the past, it would be enough to get everyone scared of what they _don't know_, rather than what they do know," Seifer reasoned. He would certainly know about starting trouble…Squall had to concede that. "And it isn't like Laguna isn't a push over."

Another valid point. Hell, Esthar as a country was a push over. They were full of technology, but raw strength was lacking.

"I guess I'll find out when I get there."

Seifer looked incredulous.

Squall persisted, "worrying about what we don't know isn't going to help anything. And if I don't go it may make things even worse. It may put Garden at risk-"

"Garden is already at risk," Seifer interjected.

"And what do you care for?" Squall finally growled, half under his breath. "Half of this is your fault, if not more. You're reckless. You look for trouble. That is why you will never be a SeeD."

"This is the only home that I have left," Seifer argued stiffly, finally acquiring a much more serious tone of voice. "It's my duty to protect it and its commander."

Squall looked ill, disgusted. "Your duty?" _[He has no idea what that word means…]. _

"You heard me," Seifer snapped back.

Having heard enough, and not wanting to waste any more time, the commander turned around and began to walk away, motioning at Rinoa to follow him.

"When are you going to trust me again?" The blonde man yelled after him, cutting his gunblade angrily through the air. "When?"

_[Not if hell were frozen over.]_

**TBC…**

**There you go Seifer fans! He's back! **

**So PLEASE review! I Love the feedback! It's addictive…;) And also gives me a reason to complete the story. I mean, if people aren't liking it, why should I keep writing it and congesting the fanfiction community? So please be kind enough to let me know if you like it, and if you don't like it, please let me know why! :) **

**I have family coming in for my college graduation, so unfortunately, I'll be unable to write –or hear myself think, for probably quite a few days after Wednesday. BUT I plan to have another installment posted by Wednesday of next week! **


	3. Chapter 3: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

**Okay, blokes, here's chapter 3! –the longest chapter, yet! Enjoy and please, please, review! ;) **

Enemy of My Enemy

_Chapter 3: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep_

Esthar was a very technologically advanced city and capitol. Its streets were reminiscing of crystal, and their luminance was confusion provoking. Squall had not been a huge enthusiast about it before the Lunar Cry, and he was still was not entirely thrilled about the prospect of returning to it. There was simply too much _blue_ in that place, one could drown in it –like the ocean. Blue was his general personality, and he _still_ didn't like it.

Not to mention that the entire city seemed like a liability –what in the world would they do if all of these transits simply _stopped_?

Of course there was also the poor layout to consider. Who honestly thought that it could be easily navigated?

Muttering unsavory complaints to himself in his head, the commander slouched back into the large comfortable chair beneath him. Burying his face in his gloved hands, he let out a soft, quiet sigh.

Despite his position as commander, Squall still preferred his own clothing. Uniforms were alright; he supposed that they had their place. But they were so conspicuous. In all honesty, he had not ever seen himself in a leadership position, and he still preferred being unnoticed –like a SeeD should be.

Glancing at his surroundings, he solemnly rested his chin on his hands. The accommodations of the Esthar government were spacious, and comfortable. They were actually a little too fashionable for his liking.

Having grown up with next to nothing, Squall had not adjusted well to being overly comfy and content. If anything, it only served to make him more anxious.

He was happiest with next to nothing, only the necessities and simplest needs.

The bed provided was overly lush, with multiple blankets, each thick and embroidered with a intricate "E" in the corners", for Esthar. Hell, the blankets added an extra foot to the bed's overall height. The pillows were especially over stuffed.

The rug consumed the entire floor, and was of rich, intricate weaves, a dark blue in color.

An ornate, dark wooden table and chairs took space across from him.

A large window overlooked the city, and its vast amount of lights, which reflected on the ceiling and walls, almost resembling water reflections from a pool.

Standing up, Squall made his way to the window, and rested his forehead on the pane of glass, examining the view beneath. None of it really mattered to him, besides the fact it was a strategic nightmare.

Drawing the blinds as he walked away, the commander returned to slouch in the chair.

By choice, Squall was unaccustomed to the understanding of complex feelings. As a matter of fact, he still became confused about what it genuinely felt like to miss someone.

Rinoa was different. She was opening him up to an entirely new facet of himself, or at least, a facet of himself that had long been suppressed and buried.

He wanted her here, as dangerous as that would be. He wanted her sitting on his lap, poking him in the face, laughing at him, attempting to tickle him…he missed being annoyed around her. Actually…this room seemed extremely dull without her, and possibly even dimmer…

No, ridiculous. It couldn't be. Emotions didn't affect physics.

He glanced at the bottles of wine, lining a wine rack against the wall. Squall had experienced many things, and alcohol wasn't something that he liked, generally –especially when he felt the need to be alert (which was any waking moment).

Sleep, however, was more tempting than he cared to admit…he was really tired. Having gotten up early in the morning, and arrived at Esthar somewhere around midnight, he needed to actually sleep. He also needed to eat.

His eyes stared at the door, considering going out for a little while.

It was rather boring in the room…but Squall liked boring. He also liked quiet,

at least he used to.

Rinoa had changed that as well. Her voice had become a constant aspect of his life. She was never actually quiet unless she was sleeping, even then she sometimes muttered to herself.

With an inward wince, he remembered how she had been before he had left. She was miserable locked away in Garden. He had not quite expected it, since he was hardly a free spirit and had never been accused of being empathetic. She trusted him and loved him –he was one of the few people that she would probably listen to for the most part of a regular basis. However, he wondered how far he was pushing her.

It was difficult to tell. Although Rinoa was outgoing and straightforward, she also could implement a sunny personality to hide her pains.

Squall silently hoped that empathy was a learned skill. If it could be learned, Squall could master it.

At the moment, however, his mind was completely wrapped around his sorceress's safety.

He had decided to go to Esthar unaccompanied. He still wasn't certain how sound that decision was, but he had to live with it now.

As commander, Squall had privately charged Selphie and Quistis with Rinoa's security. Irvine was an idiot, and Seifer…he just didn't like. He had considered taking Seifer with him simply for the sake of keeping trouble under his nose –if there was going to be a problem he would rather it be in plain view. However, right before he left he had been overcome with a wicked vision of Seifer utterly ruining negotiations by doing something outrageously brash and had decided maybe it was better if he kept trouble at a distance, instead.

In retrospect, he didn't know why he thought that he would be able to stand sharing a room with Seifer in the first place.

If he was fully honest with himself, it was also because he didn't want anyone else's opinion on what to do in this circumstance. He always had at least a handful of people ready to deliver their opinion, however unsolicited it was, and he was tired of it. He could barely hear his own thoughts.

But Seifer was right…it was odd that Laguna would want to negotiate again. Granted, the president of Esthar actually held very little power, the other political representatives had more clout, but he usually was able to maintain his desires well enough.

The commander smelled a rat. He couldn't say that he was surprised (even if he was extremely unsettled). After all, considering all of the chaos lately, it made sense for a resistance faction or rogue authoritarian, to attempt to assert themselves now.

The scene was ripe for it –and (to his chagrin) Seifer was right, Laguna wasn't prepared for it.

The part of the puzzle that probably made him the most uneasy was that he couldn't guess why Balamb Garden, or even he himself, were so instrumental that he had been summoned outside of Garden's walls. At least, he felt that was the best assumption: was that he had been specifically drawn out. He wasn't an idiot after all, and he didn't get promoted to Commander of Balamb Garden by flunking his strategy classes or even getting below average.

He had manly gone through with the invitation out of curiosity, and out of a sense of duty to Rinoa. However, he wasn't unprepared for trouble.

He glanced at Lionheart, his most prized gunblade, leaning casually against the wall at his bedside. He had made a point to sharpen it himself before his departure. If he could help it, he never let others touch it.

The commander suddenly frowned, and he felt his body tense in response. It was too quiet. _That_ was what had been gnawing at the back of his mind.

Usually in a city this size, it would be bustling even after dark. It wasn't as though the streets were unlit.

Reaching for his gunblade, he whirled around, posed to strike, as the wooden door to his accommodations hit the floor with a forceful slam! A blue, ornate vase toppled off the nightstand, the water and flowers drenching the carpet.

_[Ironic..] _

-0-

Seifer glared at the door in front of him, as though attempting to see through it. "Look, woman! Open the door…I'm not here for trouble, but we need to talk!" His point was misplaced as he slashed his gunblade –Hyperion, haphazardly through the air.

Rinoa, holed up on the other side of the door, glared through the door as well. Although, given her unnatural capacity for magic she was probably more than capable of shooting fire or lighting, or something destructive, through that door.

Instead, she stuck out her tongue bitterly. "No! No! NO!"

Seifer was becoming exasperated. He had never been a man of patience. The word was not in his vocabulary. "Don't make me break down the door!" he threatened.  
>Rinoa's glare intensified. "Seifer it is 1 am! I'm tired!"<p>

Not put off by her protest, the man slammed his shoulder into the door, with enough force that Rinoa was certain that she saw the door bend just a _little_. Brown eyes large, impressed, she reached for the knob. "Okay..okay.." she muttered through the door. "Just try to not talk so loud. It's _1 am_!"

The words were wasted on Seifer. "Squall is in trouble!" he blurted, out of breath.

Rinoa's eyes narrowed in suspicion and annoyance. At least he had not referred to Squall as "princess" this time. "He _just_ left," she argued adamantly.

"Has he called to let you know he's checked in?" Seifer pressed in a low, urgent hiss.

The dark haired girl smirked irritably. "He _never_ tells me anything, let alone check in with me…..are we talking about the same Squall?"

"Yes," the blonde man persisted. Although Seifer really wasn't surprised by Squall's consistent lack of communication, he would have thought that Rinoa's case would have been different. "Look, he's in trouble. He's an idiot."

Rinoa glowered, and began dismissively to shut the door in the blonde's face. Insulting her knight may not have been the most tactful approach the blonde man could have used.

Seifer blocked it with his arm, pressing it forcefully open –although it didn't take too much effort. For the first time he seemed serious, concerned. The Seifer that once upon a time, Rinoa had respected. "I'm serious. He shouldn't have gone on his own."

The sorceress's face looked torn between worry and disbelief.

Unfortunately for Seifer, she wavered on the side of disbelief. "I don't even know why you would care!" Rinoa was nearly sneering in contempt. "6 months ago he was the enemy to you!…You hurt him…you tortured him. You laughed at his pain –YOU nearly killed him!" Perhaps Squall was openly able to forgive and forget D-District Prison, but Rinoa was not as able. Thinking of Squall being hurt again made her angry, the dark emotion manifesting in a surge of magic that she forcefully held back.

"Well…he gave me a second chance evidently," Seifer's huge shoulders shrugged uncomfortably. "That why I am here. You two –everyone here in Garden, have given me a second chance. This is my home. It's the only place I am welcome. I have to protect it."

His claim was met with silence.

Seifer persisted. "Outside of Garden –specifically Balamb Garden, I can get charged with war crimes. He granted me amnesty here, for whatever his reasons were. He could have had me executed –and I probably deserved it."

Rinoa stared at him. For a fraction of a second she was sure that she detected shame and remorse in his undertones. "You would have," she agreed darkly, still not entirely trusting.

"This is why I have to save him. I owe him. It's a honor thing."

Rinoa glowered. "What if you're wrong?" She poked a finger into Seifer's chest emphatically, as well as painfully. "He's going to be _pissed_ if I go outside of this Garden and I'm sure the last thing he wants is you sticking your nose into _anything_. What makes you so certain that he needs us right now?"

Rubbing the sore spot on his chest, Seifer shook his head. "It's just a gut feeling. Laguna wouldn't want negotiations again…have you met the man? He's…he's sort of an idiot."

Rinoa had to grant Seifer that much. However, she was still having trouble believing that Seifer had actually matured any in the past few months. Maybe he had always been this way. She couldn't remember.

"Look you _can_ go out there, ya know!" Seifer continued. "Squall just keeps you here because he's always been like that. He hides the things that are important to him…he's kind of an asshole."

Ordinarily, Rinoa didn't shirk at a chance to do whatever she wanted. She was obstinate in her own right. However, right now she wanted.

"You want Squall to be safe, right?" Seifer asked, clutching Hyperion's hilt at his side.

Rinoa snorted. "Of course I do."

"Then we gotta go rescue him…"

-0-

Squall had fought intensely, but he quickly discovered that by himself he was no match for the black magic assaulting him. After all, a singular blast of fire magic had blown the door completely off its hinges; he had been lucky that the force of the magic had not driven the door into him.

Casting shell had only proven to delay the gratification of his attackers, as the transparent globe was pelted with fire and ice spells.

There was no room to summon Ifrit or any Guardian Force, not properly.

Squall had been carefully avoiding being backed into a corner, but it seemed that was his best option. Fighting alone did not provide him with any way to cover his back, although he was the most comfortable fighting solo.

Retaliating with Thundaga, Squall had a split second to wince as his opponent –apparently trained in white magic as well, cast Reflect. The burn from electrical spell pulsed through his arms and chest akin to fire, causing his body to instinctively attempt to curl into itself in anguish, convulsing and immobilized. Forcing himself to stand, gunblade extended, the SeeD deflected multiple blows, delivering his fair share of them as well.

Feeling his opponent weakening ever so slightly, Squall rushed forward to drive a hopefully lethal blow into the man's skull.

But he never got the chance.

Another blast of magic from outside of the room hit him square in the chest, fumbling him backwards against the wall, which he promptly slid down before he could stop himself. He tasted blood, warm and salty, in the back of his throat. He gagged a little, the involuntary reflex causing him to spit. His lungs burned, unable to fill.

Squall managed to hastily cast Curaga, but the energy expenditure and diversion of focus were costly.

In the chaos someone grabbed his jacket at the neck, throwing him forward onto his stomach. Still clenching his gunblade with a gloved hand, Squall struggled to regain his footing.

A boot to his right collided with his ribs with a solid _thunk_, and then with his stomach, minimizing his resistance as the SeeD found himself struggling for air.

It didn't matter who you were, once you had the air knocked out of you. The body's reactions were involuntary. He felt like retching. It had been a long time since he had found himself in this state.

_[Dammit…]. _

A heavy combat boot ground into his wrist through his black glove, crunching against his tendons. Involuntarily, he felt his fingers spasm open and his grip on Lion Heart subsided. His hand felt numb as the boot continued to dig into his wrist, grinding it into the carpet. Another boot compressed the back of his elbow, daring him to struggle further and risk dislocation and possibly severe tendon damage.

Pressure turned to pain in the back of his neck as a third foot pressed him to the ground. Finally the sharp point of another gunblade pricked through his jacket, tickling his spine. "Stop being such a piss ant," a captor scoffed, clearly satisfied.

Squall scowled at the carpet, refusing acknowledge his situation. "Pissed" was not an adequate enough word to describe his current state of mind. However, things being as they were, he was not really able to come up with anything more fitting.

"Move another centimeter, and I'll make sure that you're paralyzed _permanently _from the hips down, and you really don't want that, _commander_." His captor dug the blade into his back just enough to sliver his flesh for emphasis. The demonstration was unnecessary. Squall knew how easily a properly wielded (or even poorly wielded) gunblade could severe a spinal cord.

_[Why am I still alive…why am I necessary to this equation? …] _

"You aren't going to come along quietly, though, are you?" The voice continued, going to the trouble to grind his boot into the back of Squall's neck, causing the commander to glare defiantly at the wall. "Not you. You're much too stubborn for that…you'll be causing us trouble the first chance that you get, because you just don't know when to quit." Glancing at the man to his right, Squall's captor nodded. "Dose him."

-A sleeping spell.

Squall felt its affects pulling him into unconsciousness. His body began to relax rather helplessly and his cheek sank against the floor. His eyelids were becoming heavy.

They fluttered in his efforts to stay awake. With his free arm, he attempted to push himself up, but found his body had already given in too much to the spell to be of any use.

"Dose him again, he's fighting it. I want to make sure he's out."

-Another sleeping spell.

Squall felt nauseated as the second wave of paralyzing sleep slammed into his consciousness, like an ironclad fist. Two sleeping spells in a row were dangerous and he already felt a little sick and oxygen deprived. It wasn't likely that they would kill you in and of themselves, but they could lower your breathing and heart rate tremendously, inhibiting your oxygen. Sleep was not a pleasant form of magic, like many people surmised. It was miserable until your consciousness slipped away.

His throat relaxed and he felt spit beginning to bubble, unable to be swallowed. He felt choked. His tongue was heavy, motionless in his mouth, as he surrendered to the sedation.

_[…][….] _

_[Rinoa…]. _

Finally, Squall Leonhart lay still. His last thoughts before he plunged into swirling darkness had been a conglomeration of the carpet's exceedingly soft depth, his inability to swallow, and the intense hope that Rinoa would not come looking for him, and put herself at risk for his sake. But he had an awful feeling that he was going to be wrong about that….

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Alrighty, update complete! I didn't originally think I would get it out this soon, between graduating, working, and trying to find a new job! But I guess I managed it. **

**Quite a cliffhanger ending. ^_^ The next chapters are going to become much more in depth with MUCH more controversy and anguish to be revealed! These past three chapters were mainly to set the stage ;) **

**Please review! I love knowing your thoughts! **

**Thanks. **


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